Background
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) was established in 1991 as a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (UMDNJ-RWJMS) with the mission to create a cancer center of extraordinary quality for the citizens of New Jersey. Since that time, CINJ has experienced remarkable growth to its current 225,000-square-foot facility, housing state-of-the-art cancer research laboratories, a clinical facility that will host more than 80,000 outpatient visits in the coming year, and specialized areas dedicated to clinical, population, and bioinformatics cancer research. CINJ became an NCI-designated Clinical Cancer Center in 1997, followed by the NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation 5 years later, establishing CINJ as the only such facility in the state of New Jersey.

Research Activities
CINJ's researchers have made major scientific contributions toward the national goal of reducing the incidence of cancer and improving the outcomes for cancer patients. CINJ members, including scientists from UMDNJ-RWJMS and Rutgers University, work side by side with clinicians to ensure the rapid translation of laboratory results into new cancer therapies and prevention techniques. New therapies to kill cancer cells are being translated into novel clinical trials through research programs in breast and prostate cancers, malignant melanoma, and hematologic malignancies, and are being tested in a phase I clinical trials group. Collaborative research programs in cancer pharmacology, prevention and chemoprevention, and epidemiology have identified new therapies, markers of cancer risk, and preventive approaches, such as the utility of green tea in cancer prevention. CINJ is also developing expertise in cancer bioinformatics to facilitate the discovery of the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics.

Patient Care Specialties
CINJ provides state-of-the-art clinical cancer care through disease-specific teams that offer sophisticated techniques in diagnosis, surgical options, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy, and radiation therapy. Special clinical expertise in areas such as urologic, gynecologic, and pediatric oncology, high-risk breast cancer, and cancer in young adults complements the institute's strengths in treatment of all major adult malignancies. And through a network of hospitals across New Jersey, CINJ ensures that all patients have access to the most advanced cancer treatments available.

Other Notable Programs
CINJ has an outstanding phase I clinical trials program offering more than 130 active clinical trials that use therapies developed at CINJ and through strong collaborative ties with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The institute has developed a Web site, New Jersey Cancer Trial Connect (www.njctc.org), which is available in English and Spanish, to match patients with cancer clinical research studies conducted in New Jersey. Since its inception, NJCTC has had more than 6 million page views.